Little Sparrow
by bettybuzzkill
Summary: She wasn't looking for trouble, but when Trouble found her in the sights of his crossbow, she couldn't resist. In an apocalyptic Hell, Daryl Dixon was a cool drink of water, and Suzie intended to take a sip.
1. 1: First Impressions

**1: First Impressions**

When Suzie Jackson stumbled into the campground—literally stumbled, tripping over a tree root and getting tangled up in a line of cans—she was greeted by about six guns, two baseball bats, a tire iron, and a crossbow.

There had been screaming, yelling, people frantically running in the other direction. It was quite the welcoming party.

Suzie couldn't say that she blamed a single one of them.

She hadn't had the opportunity to bathe in about three weeks, not since they'd left the coast. Dirt, grime, and dried blood and sweat coated her skin in filthy layers. The few strands of her hair that weren't horribly tangled and matted against her scalp hung limp and were lackluster, to say the least. She wouldn't be surprised to know that she easily passed for one of the dead.

The sad part was, with the exception of Abby, she looked more alive than anyone in her group.

Hearing the screams and shouts, they rushed out of the trees, their own weapons raised, calling her name. Now, they stood, frozen, stunned into silence by the sight of honest-to-Christ living people, all of whom were either about to kill her or were running away screaming. Many of the weapons moved away from Suzie and some of the focus was placed on her family.

Suzie's breath was caught in her chest. She stared, wide eyed, down the sights of a crossbow. The man holding it had his lips pressed into a thin line, and his gaze was steady. Tension coiled through his body, and he looked totally prepared to pull the trigger and end her existence. She was terrified.

"Christ, if y'all are gonna shoot us, just do it already. This anticipation is givin' me heartburn," Abby said, breathlessly.

A man with dark, curly hair stepped a bit closer to Suzie, his 9mm still pointed at her head.

Stumpy stepped between them. "She ain't dead, y'fool," he growled, his own handgun gripped in his good hand. "Would sure 'preciate if y'all would quit actin' like she is."

The man flicked the safety on his gun and holstered it at his side. He offered a small smile and a hand to Stumpy. "You're gonna have to forgive us for mistakin' her for one of _them_."

"Don't have to do nothin'," the older man said, his eyes flicking to the sheriff's deputy logo on the front of the man's black t-shirt. "You a pig?"

"Now, Stump, that ain't any way to thank these good folks for their hospitality," Abby snarked. She wobbled on her feet. Bobby's arm shot around her waist, anchoring her to his side.

The screaming and running had stopped about the time that Abby had opened her mouth the first time, and the people in the campground had started to gather around the small, haggard group. A bony woman with long brown hair pushed past the cop and hurried up to Abby. She placed a gentle arm on the young woman's arm

"My God, you look like you're about to fall over. Let's get you settled in the shade."

She led Abby and Bobby into the campground, through the crowd, which parted to give them a wide berth. Stumpy cussed and followed, giving Suzie a look over his shoulder that clearly said, 'Stay put!'

Slowly, the weapons were lowered or discarded. With the exception of the crossbow, that is.

"That's an awfully pretty lil crossbow you've got there," Suzie had drawled, the first words she'd spoken since tripping over that damn tree root. She tried smirking at the rough-looking man, hoping to charm him into lowering his weapon.

He grunted.

"You gonna keep pointin' it at my head?"

"Yer covered in blood. It yours?"

There it was then. He hadn't come right out and asked, but with the tone of his voice, the way he was still drawn up tight as the string on his bow, he may as well have.

There were two questions that everyone seemed to ask everyone else in this new world: "Where are you going?" and "Are you infected?" There were variants, of course, but the jist was all the same. Will I be joining you, or will I be killing you?

Suzie glanced down at her body. He was right. She was covered in dried blood, some of it flaking off. Most of it came from the dead that she'd put down on their trek through Hell, but some of it was hers, from various scrapes and abrasions. Most of them she'd gotten as they'd hurried through the woods towards the campground. But who knew? Maybe one of those dead bastards had managed to scratch her. She wasn't sure, and had been playing a game of Wait-and-See.

"Some," she answered his question honestly. "Most of it's from them. Ain't bit though."

"Scratched?"

She shrugged.

His finger caressed the trigger for a moment.

"Damn, little brother, put tha damn thing down."

A tall man in a leather vest stepped between Suzie and the bolt aimed for her forehead. He had a military buzz cut, and stubble lined his hard jaw. His bare arms were huge, the skin pulled taut over the heavy muscles. Something in his face unnerved Suzie for a moment. This man and his 'little brother' were very obviously men who were not to be fucked with.

"Girl's just fine." He turned a saccharine grin on her, dripping with false charm. "Ain't'chu, girl?"

She nodded quickly.

"Good, good," he said. "Would hate for Daryl to haveta use that 'awful perty lil crossbow' a' his."

He chuckled, and Daryl glared.

"Fuck you, Merle."

His eyes met hers, and she almost couldn't breathe again. She could feel him judging her, appraising her. Slowly, he lowered the crossbow. His eyes held hers a moment longer, and she saw the warning there. When they slid away, she took a gasping breath.

He turned and stomped off to a small tent at the edge of the campsite. Suzie watched him go, and he looked back at her over his shoulder once. Merle coughed and got her attention again. His smile when he looked at her this time was genuine, and there was a mischievous sparkle in his icy blue eyes.

"Well damn, girl, seen roadkill a week old what looked better'n you."

She tried to give him her best glare, but a small smile tugged at the corner of her lips. She opened her mouth to reply but Stumpy was back at her side, tugging on her arm. She allowed him to pull her away, calling to Chug to hurry his ass up. The man was leaning on a branch, using it as a crutch as he limped along after them.

The "bench" under the tree was really nothing more than the front seat of an old pickup truck. Its leather was cracked, and foam bulged out of a hole in the side, but as Stumpy settled Suzie on it, she had the thought that it must be heaven sent. Her feet ached from the miles they'd walked, and it felt too good to get off of them. She groaned in relief, stretching her legs out in front of her.

They'd been walking a couple of days. Stumpy's truck had broken down just south of Macon. Bobby could have fixed it, with all the right tools, a few new parts, and about three or four days. They didn't have any of that though, so the five of them had crammed themselves into Bobby's old beat up GTO.

It was only a few miles back, outside of a small town, that the GTO had sputtered its last breath. Bobby had cried, hunched over the steering column. They'd all done their best to give her brother some space to mourn, getting out of the car and stretching their legs, scouting the immediate area for supplies. Staying in one place for any amount of time, much less one so exposed and out in the open, was suicide these days, and so after Bobby had pulled himself together, they unloaded the car. The men had make quick work of sorting out the essentials, like food and the first aid kit, from the luxuries, like Abby's favorite book and Suzie's strawberry scented shampoo.

They'd shouldered the much lighter packs, and started walking. The going was slow, on account of Chug's bum leg, and each mile was like a nightmare. The close calls were way too many, and Bobby and Stumpy argued about whether or not to continue on to the fabled safe zone in Atlanta or just go home.

At the rest stop, Abby had found the map with the campground on it, up near a quarry. Water, she'd said. Possible safety, for a time. A place to rest and regroup before making the final push into Atlanta. It'd made sense to Suzie, and apparently to Stumpy too, because he'd looked at the map for a couple of minutes then headed off into the woods. The rest of the group had no choice but to follow him.

Abby laughed at her groan and passed her a half full water bottle. Suzie pulled the lid off and gulped greedily. She handed the bottle over her shoulder, back to Bobby, and he took a small sip, before giving it back to Abby. Abby rolled her eyes and chucked it in Stumpy's direction without taking another drink.

The bony woman knelt in front of Suzie, and took her face in her thin hands and tilted it this way and that. Suzie was too exhausted to pull away from the inspection and just allowed the woman to look her over. She clucked her tongue, rubbing a thumb over a scratch under Suzie's left eye.

"You all look like you've been through Hell."

Suzie was quiet a long moment, staring into this strange woman's face. She felt the laugh slowly bubbling up at the back of her throat and tried to contain it, but couldn't. It spilled out in short, frantic bursts, and Suzie brought a hand up to cover her mouth.

The woman was taken aback. She looked over Suzie's shoulder at Bobby, as though trying to ask him without words if Suzie was all there in the head.

Suzie just kept laughing hysterically. Suzie laughed until it hurt. Laughed until she cried. Laughed until she couldn't laugh anymore, and she just cried.

Hell was the understatement of the century, as far as she was concerned.

A/N: Thank you for reading the first chapter of Little Sparrow. Please let me know what you think! All reviews are welcome! Also, if anyone is interested in being a beta, I've got a spot open! Just shoot me a message! Again, thank you again for reading.


	2. 2: Hell

**2: Hell**

"_**Abby, we gotta keep movin'. C'mon now, you can do this, baby. Ya haveta do this."**_

_**Suzie looked over her shoulder. Bobby was kneeling on the floor in front of Abby. The girl was sitting on the floor, her back against the front of the gas station counter, choking on sobs. Tears left trails through the filth on her face.**_

_**Out on the street, a couple blocks back, Abby'd had to put down a walker. A little one. It had her all torn up now, and she was losing it.**_

_**Suzie looked back out the storefront window. Her eyes darted among the abandoned cars that littered the roadway, her crowbar clutched tightly. They couldn't stay here. It wasn't safe. They'd thought about it, about holding up in this gas station for the night, but a cursory inspection revealed a broken lock on the back door, and three completely busted out windows. They would have just been asking to be overrun.**_

"_**Babygirl needs ta pull 'erself together," Stumpy muttered next to her. Suzie looked back over her shoulder again. Her brother was now physically trying to force Abby to her feet, tugging on her hands and grabbing a hold of her tattered shirt.**_

"_**Baby, don't make me haveta carry your ass over m'shoulder," he was saying now. His tone was harsh. "Won't make it far that way."**_

_**Suzie abandoned her post at the window and hurried over, pulling one of Abby's arms over her shoulders. "C'mon sweetie, I got ya."**_

_**Abby nodded, trying hard to stifle her tears. Her face was determined. Suzie had to smile. Even in the middle of a complete emotional and mental breakdown, Abby was tough as nails. She could do this.**_

"_**We need to move, y'all," Stumpy said. "It's gettin' dicey out there."**_

_**Suzie glanced away from her friend and back outside. There were a few walkers milling about now. She gritted her teeth. They had to leave. Now.**_

_**Abby had her feet underneath herself, and was taking unsteady steps forward, still leaning heavily on Suzie. Bobby was checking his gun, pulling the clip out, counting his rounds, before slamming it back home.**_

_**He looked at the man standing near the front door, barricading it as best he could with a magazine rack and his own weight. "Ya good to go, Chug?"**_

_**The man pulled a flask from his belt and took a long pull. He swallowed with a grimace. Screwing the cap back on and tucking it away again, he gave Bobby a brisk nod.**_

"_**Am now."**_

_**He shoved off of the magazine rack. He pushed it out of the way and opened the door. Bobby and Stumpy passed him, taking point. Suzie could hear the crunch as the stock of Stumpy's rifle collided with a walker's head. Chug looked at the girls, holding out his hand and beckoning them onward.**_

"_**Le's go now, girls."**_

_**Abby whimpered and Suzie gave her a bit of a shake. "C'mon Abby. One foot in front of th'other."**_

_**They slowly made their way out of the gas station and into the blinding sunlight. Suzie squinted, trying to adjust to the brightness. She heard the door to the gas station close behind Chug as he limped along behind them.**_

_**Bobby lead the way, ducking around vehicles. Every few steps, he or Stumpy would drop to the ground, checking under the cars. Ankle biters were the worst. Their pace was steady, and Suzie could feel Abby pulling away bit by bit, trying to carry her own weight. The tears had finally stopped, but Abby's hands were still shaking.**_

_**Bobby stopped at the corner of a building. He motioned for everyone to stay, while he poked his head around the corner. He quickly pulled back, hissing a string of curses under his breath.**_

"'_**Bout ten of 'em," he whispered. "Any ideas, Stump?"**_

_**Stumpy was already peeking around the corner, carefully examining the situation. Suzie could practically hear the gears working in that old brain of his. He lifted his hand, pulling off his cap and scratching the bald patch on his head with it. He pulled back and leaned on the wall between Bobby and Suzie.**_

"_**See that alley 'cross the way there," he pointed. Bobby followed the line of his finger, nodding when he'd located the narrow opening. "If we're quick'n'careful, we can prob'ly make it over there without our friends seein' us. Use the cars as cover."**_

"_**Risky," Bobby said, but Stumpy was already on the move. He ducked behind a car and peeked around it. He motioned for the others to follow him, while he kept his eyes on the walkers in the street. It was Abby who pushed herself away from the wall and quickly went after him, regaining her nerve.**_

"_**Fuck," Bobby cussed, diving after her. "Damn woman."**_

_**Suzie would have laughed if it hadn't been for the fact that her heart was in her throat. She tightened both hands around her crowbar. "You comin', Chug?" she asked the man still leaning on the wall next to her.**_

_**He chuckled. "Well, can't stay here, now can I?" He reached a hand over and gave her shoulder a squeeze. "You'll be fine, girl. Just follow yer brother, and keep yer eyes open. Go on now, I'll be right behind ya."**_

_**She swallowed, and took a deep breath, before scrambling quickly for the cover of the car that Bobby was hiding behind. Abby and Stumpy were already almost all the way across the street. Both Bobby and Suzie released a sigh of relief as Abby slipped down the street and into the alley. Stumpy was waving for them to hurry.**_

"_**How you doin', Suze?"**_

_**Suzie rolled her eyes. "'m peachy, Bo."**_

_**He smirked. "Sure y'are. Keep close."**_

_**He began a mad dash across the street then, not as careful as he was quick. Suzie ran, trying to keep up with him. She heard the thud before she heard Chug's cry of pain. She whirled around, saw him lying in the middle of the street, clutching at his injured leg.**_

_**The walkers had also seen him.**_

"_**Chug!" She cried out. She raced to him, clubbing a walker as it reached out to her. She jumped over its body, landing in a crouch next to Chug. She pulled him to his feet, hauling his arm over her shoulders.**_

"_**Tripped over m'own damn foot," he explained, grimacing as she hurried him towards the rest of the group. She swung her free arm out, catching a walker across the face with her crowbar. "Fell on my busted leg."**_

"_**Suzie, move!" Bobby yelled. He was running towards them, his gun raised. She jerked to the side he'd indicated with his free hand, feeling fingers ghost across her hair as a gunshot rang out. Chug's arm tightened around her shoulders and he yanked her in closer, bringing his other arm around and clipping another walker with the bat in his hand.**_

_**Bobby was getting closer, but so were more and more walkers, coming out of stores and around street corners in a steady trickle. Chug was cussing, trying to hop along with her as fast as he could, keeping his broken leg off the ground. "Y'still with me, Chug?"**_

"_**Still with ya, girl. Watch yerself!"**_

_**Suzie used her crowbar as a spear, stabbing it through the eye of a walker that clutched at her shirt. Another gunshot rang out, followed by another. Stumpy was popping off rounds from the alley, while also trying to push Abby up a fire escape. Abby was screaming for Stumpy to hand her the six-shooter in his side holster.**_

_**Bobby was at Suzie's side now, trying to take Chug's weight. She slipped from under the man's arm and gripped her crowbar with both hands. She began swinging it wildly at the crowd of walkers, trying to clear a path to the alley and that fire escape.**_

_**Their goal was only about a hundred feet away, but it felt like a hundred miles. Just when she gave up and accepted that they were well and truly fucked, Stumpy's face was in hers, pulling her into the alley. Bobby was pushing at Chug from beneath, trying to physically shove him up the ladder, his busted leg not allowing him to climb very well. She had one last burst of energy, the last stores of her adrenaline kicking in. She continued bashing in walker skulls as they came in a seemingly never-ending flood, blood and gore splattering against her.**_

_**Then Bobby was dragging her up the ladder, and the sun was in her eyes, and she was on her back, gasping for breath. Black spots danced in the periphery of her vision and a terrible ringing was in her ears. She felt herself getting sick, the bile tickling the back of her throat. Suzie scrambled onto her hands and knees, vomiting on the rooftop. Hands rubbed her back and tried to hold her dripping hair out of her face.**_

_**The ringing in her ears faded, and the black spots dissipated. Suzie could hear the moaning of the dead milling around below, angry, if the dead could be angry, at having been denied a feast. Bobby and Stumpy were yelling at one another, Abby was crying again, and Chug had passed out.**_

_**Man has the right idea, she thought, before she passed out too.**_

A/N: Thank you for reading! Please leave reviews! I'd love to know what y'all think!

A special thank you to **diesel jones** and **GatorGirl99** for subscribing to the story!


	3. 3: Handshake

**3: Handshake**

It was early afternoon and the bright, midday sun sparkled on the surface of the quarry lake. Suzie sat on a rock at the lake's edge, dangling her feet in the water. She ran a comb through her damp hair and grimaced as she encountered another tough knot. She picked at it carefully, trying to untangle it without causing too much damage to her hair.

After her hysterical meltdown, the bony woman, who'd introduced herself as Lori, had led the two younger women down to the lake to clean themselves up. She'd pulled a basket of bathing supplies from the underbrush, admitting with a small, almost embarrassed smile that she'd hidden it there to keep the other women from helping themselves to her shampoo.

"It's not exactly easy to come by these days," she'd said, laughing softly.

Abby had taken it and grabbed Suzie, dragging her into the lake. Upending the bottle over Suzie's head, with an apologetic smile for Lori, she'd poured more than a generous amount on her hair. Suzie had relaxed, allowing the woman to lather up the shampoo and massage it into her scalp. As she rinsed, dirt and blood spread out in the water around her like a cloud.

With her hair somewhat clean, she'd allowed herself to float away from Abby. Lori had tossed her a yellow sponge, like one she would have used for doing the dishes, and she scrubbed herself raw. When she'd finally emerged from the water, the yellow sponge had turned a rusty red color and she was an angry red, wrinkled prune.

Now, while she carefully picked the knots from her hair, Abby splashed in the water, and Lori sorted through their discarded clothing, trying to find anything salvageable. Suzie listened with half an ear while she chattered on about the workings of the camp. She explained that while the women took over the traditional "women's work" of minding the children, laundry and cooking, the men looked out for the safety of the camp and went on supply runs.

She smirked when Abby scoffed. "Well, you'll haveta excuse me, but I'm 'bout the world's worst cook, an' Bobby knows if he wants clean britches, he'd better do 'em himself."

Suzie glanced over her shoulder in time to catch the disapproving look Lori sent Abby's way, before it disappeared behind another smile. She rolled her eyes. Like they would be here long enough for it to matter.

"Knock, knock, everyone decent?"

Suzie pulled her towel tighter around herself as Bobby strutted out of the trees with Stumpy close behind, a hand over his eyes. Abby gasped in mock outrage. "How dare you men interrupt my bath? It just ain't polite." She covered herself with her hands while Bobby stripped down to his boxers and dove into the lake. He came up next to her, reaching out to take her into his arms. "Uh-uh. You're filthy and I just got clean."

"Ain't nothin' wrong with a woman gettin' dirty with her man an' then helpin' him clean right back up," Bobby laughed, reaching for her again.

"I don't think so. Stumpy, take cover!" She bolted from the water, barely escaping Bobby's outstretched fingers. Lori held out a towel for her, and she accepted it, laughing when Bobby slapped his hand across the water, sending a spray at her. Wrapping it around herself, she picked up one of those sponges and tossed it his way. "Get clean, then you can kiss and cuddle all ya want."

Stumpy, with his hand still over his eyes, coughed. "Ya covered, babygirl?"

"Yeah, Stump."

He took a bundle of folded clothes from under his arm and held it out to her. She kissed him on the cheek, taking it and disappearing into the trees to dress. He turned to Suzie, staring out over the lake again, wincing as her comb caught on a particularly nasty knot. His hand on her shoulder drew her attention, and he held out another small bundle.

"Young lady at camp, Amy, think 'er name was, said ya could borrow these 'til yers're clean."

She smiled at him, set the bundle down next to her and went back to combing her hair. The Georgian summer heat was already drying it into a riot of curls that framed her face. "I'll have to remember to thank her. How's Chug?"

"They got 'im laid up in one a' them tents. That pig and some ol' man put a fancy lookin' splint on his leg. Looks a damn sight prettier'n the one you put on 'im."

"'Course it does. I'm no professional. And y'know that cop had to take some sorta first aid course." She looked up at the man. He was staring down at his left hand. He'd lost the pinky and ring fingers on it when he was a younger man in a fishing accident. When he was troubled, he'd stare down at it, as though its incompleteness was a personal affront to him. "Everything okay, Stumpy?" Suzie asked, worry lacing her voice. "Chug's gonna be alright, isn't he?"

Stumpy sighed, running his good hand over his face. "He ain't gonna die of a broken leg, Sparrow." He looked like there was more he wanted to say, but he closed his mouth, pulling away from her. "Get dressed. That pig said he wanted ta have a talk with all a' us."

"His name is Shane."

They both turned to Lori. She was holding one of Suzie's shirts, bloodied and shredded beyond repair, in a white-knuckled grip.

"'Scuse me?"

"I said his name is Shane. He's a good man, and he deserves your respect. This camp wouldn't exist without him. These people wouldn't be alive without him. My boy wouldn't be alive."

Her tone was hard, her face like stone, the friendly smile from before gone. She turned on her heel, leaving all the clothing she'd insisted she could fix in a pile, and disappeared up the trail to the campsite.

The small group was silent for a moment.

Then a sopping wet pair of boxers landed on the rock next to Suzie's hand. She yanked her hand away, disgusted.

"Thank God. Was thinkin' I was never gonna be able to take the damn things off," Bobby said, sighing in exaggerated relief.

"That's so gross," Suzie said, picking the wet undergarment up between two fingers and tossing them back in his direction.

"What? Man can't get rightly clean wearin' his drawers. Ain't that right, Stump?"

Stumpy chuckled. "Yes, son, does sound 'bout right to this old man."

He reached his right hand down to Suzie, and she took it, letting him pull her to her feet. She kept her towel clutched tightly around herself. Abby, who had rejoined them right as Lori had begun to scold Stumpy, reached her hand out for the comb. Suzie tossed it her way. Scooping up her small bundle of clothing, she slipped into the trees.

She dressed quickly. The shorts fit loosely, Suzie noted with dismay. She'd obviously lost weight on the trek towards Atlanta. The tank top, however, was snug across her breasts. There hadn't been a bra, and Suzie made a mental note to steal the clean button down she'd seen sitting on top of Bobby's bundle of clothes. Every man in the camp didn't need to see her nipples through the tank's thin, white cotton.

She stepped back out to the lake's edge, and helped Abby pull her long, dark hair into a tight braid. Stumpy was in the water near Bobby now, scrubbing himself fiercely with the stupid kitchen sponge. Bobby was trying, in vain, to reach his back.

"Eh, Stump," he muttered, "a lil help, please?"

"Hey, we're gonna head back up to the camp, take a look around," Abby said, hooking her pinky through Suzie's, after the girl had pulled the green button down she'd pilfered on.

"Y'all keep to yourselves, y'hear?" Stumpy instructed, eyeing them as he moved closer to Bobby, sponge outstretched.

"Yeah, yeah, Stump, and we'll make sure we hug a tree if we get lost," Abby laughed, tugging on Suzie's hand.

They wandered up to the campground, their hands swinging between them. Suzie whistled softly, and Abby hummed along. Suzie felt relaxed, a foreign feeling in this new world, and she was enjoying it while it lasted. As they reached the campground, she paused, taking in all the details she'd been to afraid to take notice of earlier.

There was a small fire set in the center of the campground, and a small group of women were standing over it, boiling water from the looks of it. The camp spread out from the fire, tents set up in the shade of trees. There was an RV set up at the edge, with a chair and umbrella up top. An older man with a white beard sat in the chair, a pair of binoculars hanging from around his neck. Smaller fire pits dotted the ground, each one with chairs and makeshift seats situated around them. Near a couple of the tents, small tables had been set up, and there was a clothes line. A woman with short, grey hair stood over an ironing board. Suzie had to bite her lip to keep from laughing at the sight.

Yes, because when the zombies came across you, they would pause to take notice of how nicely pressed your trousers were.

Chug was sitting on a log near the RV, dressed in clean clothes and with a neat looking splint immobilizing his broken leg. Abby had already spotted him and was sitting at his side, fussing and cooing over him. She smiled. Chug loved when Abby fussed over him. He was practically preening under her attention.

She took a few steps towards the pair, stopping as a low whistle cut through the air.

"Damn, Roadkill, y'sure do clean up nice, now don't ya?"

Merle was leaning against a nearby tree, sharpening a long blade on a whet stone. Daryl sat on a stump next to him, cleaning a rabbit carcass on a large stone before him. His hands moved quickly, surely, discarding the entrails in a bucket to be emptied into a deep pit in the woods later. Merle smirked at Suzie, reaching out a foot to kick Daryl's leg.

"Brother, doesn't she look like a sight for sore eyes?"

Daryl raised his head from his work slowly, his eyes remaining on the rabbit in front of him, even as he turned to look in her direction. When they finally rose to her, she felt frozen beneath their scrutiny. They darted over her body, running up her tan legs, pausing on her chest, before settling on her face. She could swear she saw a glimmer of appreciation in them.

"Wouldn't've known you was blonde," was all he said, before he went back to gutting the rabbit.

Merle threw his head back, laughing. "Damn, Daryl, epic pair a' tits like those and all ya can see is that hair. Sure y'ain't queer?"

Daryl rolled his eyes, but didn't reply.

Merle looked back at her. "Well, girl, y'gonna introduce yerself to ol'Merle, or y'gonna just stand there gawpin'?"

Suzie glanced over at Abby and Chug. Abby was waving her over and Chug was giving her his best Stumpy impersonation, with a scowl. She looked back at Merle. He was smirking, like he knew she wasn't supposed to be talking to him. Looking past him, she looked at Daryl. His head was down, but his hands were still, and he was listening.

Stepping closer to Merle and meeting his smirk with one of her own, she held her hand out to him. "Name's Suzie."

She could hear Chug's groan from across the camp.

A/N: Sorry it took so long to get this uploaded! I don't have internet at my house and I live several miles out of town. It sometimes can take me forever to get to the library. I'll try not to make y'all wait too long for chapters in the future!

Again, thank you for reading. Also, a special thank you to Aristinae1864, Amtsy, and Leyshla Gisel for adding this story to your alerts! I really appreciate it!


End file.
